Box Score O'FALLON, Ill. - McKendree University men's tennis posted a 5-2 win over No.29-ranked Harding University on Friday afternoon at the St. Clair Tennis Club in O'Fallon, Ill. The Bearcats improve to to 5-1 overall as they have won their last four consecutive matches.
In doubles play, McKendree's No.1 duo of senior Leonardo Schmitz Frederico and freshman Benedek Szombathelyi secured a 6-4 win while seniors Nanase Ebisu and Lorenzo del Biondo clinched a No.3 singles win with a score of 7-6. Harding took the No.2 doubles match in a close 4-6 battle which featured McKendree freshmen Tomas Leston and Jose Antonio Velasco.
For singles matches, the Bearcats went 4-2, starting with a 7-5, 6-2 win in the No.1 match from Frederico and a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 tiebreaker win from Leston in the No. 2 match. Velasco recorded a 6-4, 6-4 victory for the No. 4 match in addition to del Biondo's No.6 match win with scores of 7-5, 6-4. Szombathelyi fell to Harding's de Ruiter in the No.3 match, going into three sets while Ebisu fell in the No.5 match 7-6, 5-3.
McKendree head coach René Vidal on the win:
"To defeat Harding is no easy task. Our team is having a lot of fun on the court and our hard work is paying off. We're looking forward to our next match."
The Bearcats compete next at William Jewell College on Friday, March 24.
BOX SCORE VS. HARDING
#1 Doubles
Score Doubles Pairing
6 Frederico / Szombathelyi
4 Ortiz / Zlatar
#2 Doubles
Score Doubles Pairing
4 Leston / Velasco
6 de Ruiter / Mikkelson
#3 Doubles
Score Doubles Pairing
7 Ebisu / del Biondo
6 Petrovic / Urquiola
#1 Singles
Score Matchup
7 5 Frederico
6 2 Ortiz
#2 Singles
Score Matchup
2 6 7 Leston
6 4 6 Zlatar
#3 Singles
Score Matchup
4 7 2 Szombathelyi
6 5 6 de Ruiter
#4 Singles
Score Matchup
6 6 Velasco
4 4 Petrovic
#5 Singles
Score Matchup
6 3 Ebisu
7 5 Walker
#6 Singles
Score Matchup
7 5 del Biondo
6 4 Urquiola
